Extensible console table



April 1939- I A. MARINO I 2,152,703

EXTENSIBLE CONSOLE TABLE Filed March 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR YANTHONY MA IA 0 fiU'PfR/x ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE EXTENSIBLE CONSOLE TABLE Anthony Marino, Somerville, Mass.

Application March 2, 1938, Serial No. 193,525

4 Claims.

This invention relates to aconsole table which is so constructed as topermit enlargement thereof and interposition of leaves .therein toprovide an extension table.

So far as I am aware, console tables have never heretofore beenconstructed for extension. The table of my invention is adapted for usein any one of a variety of positions, including the .usual double leaffiat top position; a position with one leaf extended upwardly andsupported against a wall; open contracted position; and extendedposition, either with one or more interposed leaves.

The mechanical features of my construction permit incorporation ofbracing and reinforcement adequate to insure a sturdy table in allpositions, including extended position, and, as will be hereinafterdescribed, additionally permit incorporation of an extra leg which isadapted to support the central portion of the table when the table is inextended position, yet which does not detract from the appearance of thetable in contracted or console position.

My table is designed to meet the customers demand for small tables whichon occasions may be enlarged to provide extra table surface for diningor other purposes. Its advantages willbe plainly apparent from thedescription given herein, when taken together with the drawings, inwhich,

Fig. 1 is a plan of the table in open contracted position;

Fig. 2 is a front elevationof the table with one leaf extended upwardlyinto a vertical position where it can be'supported against a wall;

Fig. 3 is a plan of the table in extended position, showing theinterposition of leaves;

Fig. 4 is a partial enlarged rear elevation of the table with the leavesin a double flat top position;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of the arrangement of one of the hingesshown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken along the lines E5 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7is a fragmentary plan of one of the hinge constructions, illustratingthe leaves in a partially extended relation.

As will be readily understood from the drawings, my table is adapted foruse in four positions, including the position illustrated by Fig. 4,wherein one leaf H1 is folded over into a position on top of andsubstantially co-extensive with, another leaf 12; the position shown inFig, 2, wherein the top leaf H! has been hinged upwardly into a positionwhere it can be supported against a wall; the position illustrateddownwardly-into.the'hplane of the bottom leaf l2 to provide a flat toptable; and the position shownin Fig; .3,- whereinthe leaves I!) and I2have been separated and additional leaves 14 have beeninsertedtherebetween.

In order'to support the top' leaf l0, when it is in the'unfoldedhorizontal positions'illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3,0neof'the legs isadapted to be hinged on a vertical axis .outwardlyunder the leaf. I0, asillustrated in dotted lines in Figs. land 3.

To describe the construction. more in detail, the leaf I2 isfixedlysecured to two of the table legs 20 and 22. The other leaf l0, asillustrated in Figs. 3 211(1'4, is hingedly securedto a'frame 30,supported .by legs 32 and 34, andis adapted for movement about ahorizontal axis, as will be described more fully hereinafter. The leg 34is hingedly'connected to thefrarne 30 by an arm 36, which has a :hingedvconnection at 38 with the frame 30, and is adapted to be swungoutwardly, as illustratedin dottedlines in Figs. 1 and 3.

The table thus comprises essentially two separate sections, A'and B,.each section comprising one leaf and a pair of legs.

These two sectionsareconnected together b a common slideextensionarrangement 49, shown in dotted lines in extendedposition in Fig. 3, andin contracted position in Fig. 1.-'The end members atone end of thisslide extension device 48 'are fixedly "secured 'to the underside ofleaf [2, and the other end members'of the slide extension device40---are"secured to the inner side of "theframe 30, and are suitablybraced by horizontal angle frames 42, and vertical frames 43, and theend members are so positioned relative to leaf I2, that,v in contractedposition'of theslides, the inner edges of leaves I0 and [2 will abut asillustrated in Fig. l.

Preferably, each central slide48a is fixedly secured to aplate member44, to which is fixedly attached a central leg 46 with suitable bracingG1, The frame 30 is provided with a cut-out portion 48 to accommodatethe top of leg 46 when the table is in the position shown in Fig. 1. AsWill be seen, the-leg46, in the'position shown in Fig. 3, serves as asupport for the central portion of the table; While the leg 46 addsgreatly to the-strength of the table in extended position, it can beomitted, theextension slides being of such a nature that they areself-supporting even in extended position.

In orderto permit separation of the sections A and B, leaf I is hinged,not to leaf [2, but to the frame 30, as shown in Fig. 4, through theprovision of blocks 50, fixedly secured, one at each end of the frame30, to the upper surface of frame 30, as shown more in detail in Figs. 5and 6. The leaf I0 is hinged to these blocks 50, the hinges being ofsuch construction that when the top leaf III is in the position shown inFig. 4, the leaf I0 is spaced above the block and above the remainingtop surface of frame 30 a distance sufficient to permit leaf I2 to beinterposed therebetween. In addition, in order to permit the edge of theleaf I2 to be fiush with the rear edge of leaf Ill, the under surface ofleaf l2 adjacent each outer edge of the leaf is recessed at 52, toaccommodate the blocks 50 when sections A and B are in the positionshown in Fig, 4. As illustrated more in detail in Fig. 6, the rear edge,of the table provides a flush surface, with the exception of theprotruding hinge portions.

Preferably my hinges take the form illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, andcomprise two members having U-shaped portions 53, countersunk andsecured one in leaf I0 and the other in block 50. The two hinge membersare connected together by a series of bars 54 having a pivot pin 56passing through their central portions. The hinge shown has sixbars,each bar having a short arm and a long arm. As shown in Fig. 5, one barhas a lower short arm pivoted upon a pin 59, which is fixedly securedacross the lower U-shaped portion 53, and a longer upper arm which ispivoted upon a pin 60, which is slidable in channels 62, formed in thewalls of the upperVU-shaped portion 53. Each alternate bar is similarlyfastened, while the intermediate bars are reversed, so that the lowerarm is the long arm and is pivoted to a pin 60, slidable in portion 53of the lower hinge member, and the upper arm is the short arm, and ispivoted to a pin 58 fixed across-the U-shaped portion of the uppermember.

The two U-shaped portions 53 are so positioned relative to the block 50and leaf ID that when the leaf I 0 is in the horizontal positionillustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the pin'56 is in a horizontal planewith the contacting surfaces of leaves Ill and I2. As top leaf I0 ishinged 180 to the position illustrated in Fig. '7, the pins 60 slidedivergingly inwardly relative to the rear edges of leaf [0 and block 50in channels 62, and pins 58 and 59 come to rest in a single horizontalplane, with pin 56 in a vertical plane with the end surface of block 50and contacting end surface of leaf I0, thus causing the leaves l0 and I2to be fiush against each other, as shown in Fig. 1.

In this position, the leg 34 is hinged away from frame 38, to providesupport for the horizontally disposed hinged leaf I0.

From the position shown inFig. 1, it is obvious that sections A and Bmay be separated, the leaf l2 of section B'sliding off the blocks 50 asindicated by Fig. 7, finally reaching, if desired,

that the leaf which is interposed adjacent the. leaf ID has recesses onits under surface substantially identical with the recesses 52,described in connection with leaf l2, so that the leaf will set downover the blocks 50 to abut the edge of the leaf l0.

Other forms of hinges, particularly .double link hinges, which permit180 movement of leaf l0 relative to block 50, while permitting, as withmy illustrated form of hinge, the edge of leaf H] to abut closely therear edge of block 50 when the 180 pivoting has occurred, may obviouslybe used.

However, many of such hinges are apt to require a cutting away of thetop surface of the table, thus exposing a portion of the hinge on top ofthe table when the leaves are in the open position of Figs. 1 and 3,although such hinges may obviate the necessity of blocks 50 and undercutrecesses 52.

In other words, while I have illustrated my preferred form of hinge, itis obvious that any form of hinge which will permit the interposition ofleaf I2 between the anchorage points of each hinge, and which will allow180 movement to bring the rear edges of the two leaves in abuttingengagement, will be satisfactory for the purposes of my extension table.In addition, the hinge leg 34 must be so attached to the table that itwill permit a fastening of the hinge to the support 30 withoutinterfering with the outward movement of the swinging leg, to providesupport for the leaf 10. However, if the swinging leg is not provided,some equivalent. means for supporting the leaf Ill may be utilized.

. I claim:

1. A console table of the type described, comprising two independentsections, one of said sections including a table leaf supported in afixed horizontal position, the other of said sections including asupporting frame and a table leaf hinged to said frame formovement'about a horizontal axis from a position folded on top of saidfixed leaf 180 to a position abutting and in the plane of the fixedleaf, means associated with said frame for supportingsaid hinged leaf insaid hinged position, and extensible slide means connecting saidsections, whereby said sections may be moved to relatively remotepositions to permit interposition of an additional leaf intermediatesaid fixed and said hinged leaves.

2. A console table of the type described, comprising a front and backsection, said front-section including a table leaf fixedly supported ina horizontal position, said back section including a supporting frameand a table leaf hinged to said frame for movement about a horizontalaxis from a position folded over and substantially co-extensive withsaid fixed leaf 180 to a position abutting and in the plane of saidfixed pleaf, means associated with said back section for supporting saidhinged leaf in said hinged position and means extensibly connecting saidsections together, including a series of expansible slides, and a legfixedly secured to a central slide, whereby said sections may be movedto positions relatively remote from each other and from said leg, topermit interposition of an additional leaf intermediate said fixed leafand said hinged leaf.

3. A console table of the type described, comprising two independentsections, each section including a plurality of legs and a table leaf,the leaf of one of said sections being fiexdly secured to its legs in ahorizontal position, the leaf of the other section being hingedlysecured to a frame supported by its legs for movement about a horizontalaxis from a position folded over and substantially co-extensive'withsaid fixed leaf 180 to a position abutting and in the plane of saidfixed leaf, one of the legs of said section being hingedly secured tosaid frame for movement about a vertical axis to a position supportingsaid hinged leaf in said hinged position, and means extensiblyconnecting said sections together, whereby said sections may be moved torelatively remote positions, to permit interposition of an additionalleaf intermediate said fixed leaf and said hinged leaf.

4. A console table of the type described comprising two independentsections, one of said sections including a plurality of legs and a tableleaf fixedly secured to said legs in a horizontal position, the other ofsaid sections including at least one leg, a frame supported thereby, anda table leaf hinged to said frame for movement about an horizontal axisfrom a position folded over and substantialy co-extensive with saidfixed leaf 180 to a position abutting and in the plane of said fixedleaf, means associatedwith said frame for supporting said hinged leaf insaid hinged position, and means extensib-ly connecting said sectionstogether, whereby said sections may be moved to relatively remotepositions to permit interposition of an additional leaf intermediatesaid fixed leaf and said hinged leaf.

ANTHONY MARINO.

